Undergarment



'March 12, 1929. T, FLAvLL ET AL 1,704,887

UNDERGARMENT Filed July 30, 1927 a 1m NTORS am am- ATTORNEY Fatenterl Mar. 12, 1929.

truss? rarer orr cs.

ALBERT '1. FLAVELL AND ENOCH-HOLLAND OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

SIGNOBS 'IO- CEDAB.-BROOK KNITTING- COMPANY, VANIA, A CORPORATION OF EENNSYLVANIA.

OF IFHILADELPH-IA, PENNSYL- UNDERGABMENT.

Application filed. July 30,

It'also is anobject of the invention to pro vlde an undergarmcnt of the character indieatedin which thefcrotch. is formed of two overlying strips of fabric connected with each other and to the body of a garment and the opposite end portions of which at the front and rear sides of the garment are overlappedand are secured in such coo ierative relation to each other as to form openings which normally remain closed to protect and conceal the underneath portions of the body of the wearer.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be pointed out in the detailed description thereof which follows or will be apparent from such description.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and its practical. advanta fully appreciated,reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which we have illustrated one form of embodiment thereof.

In the drawing: i

Fig. l is a View in front elevation of an un- (lei-garment embodying the invention;

Fi g. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the garment, the upper portion thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 isa view in transverse section taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4c is aview in front elevation of the lower portion of the part which in the completed garment constitutes the bodyportion thereof,

the-said view indicating certain of the steps employed in the process of manufacture; and 7 Figs. 5 and 6 are views in perspective of a couple of supplemental strips or members which are adapted to be secured to the por-y 1 tion shown in Fig. at in such manner that in the completed garment they cooperate to form the crotch thereof, and also in such manner that the opposite end portions thereof overlap to form the front and rear portions of the said garment. i In one method of manufacturing the garment the body portion thereof is constructed of knitted fabric which is knit. originally in.

1927. seen at. 209,482. 7

the formgof a continuous tube of relatively large transverse area andthereaftercut into proper lengths to provide garments of the desired length. Thereafter the tubular sections thusproduced' are slit as indicated by the full lines at 1 and by the dash lines at 2 in Fig. a of the drawing, the said slits being in opposed relation to eachother. 'The upP portion of the tubular section employed iscut and shaped to form the arm'holes 3 and the opening at l for the neck, but as'the manner ofconstructing the upper portion of the garment including the arm holesand neck consti- 1 no part of the present invention further ref rence thereto will no't'be made.

The supplemental strips 5 and 6 are secured to the edges of'thc slits 1 and 2 in a manner to form-thecrotch portion of the garment as well as to formoverlapping portions at the front and rear sides of the completed garment as is best illustrated, perhaps, in

Fig. 3 of the drawing. The strip Sin the comoletr garment as constructed by us overlies p 6 and for purposes'of description the said strips hereinafter will. bereferred to as front and'rear strips respectively.

Each of the strips 5 and 6 includes or comprises pointed end portions 10 and 11 which in the completed garment overlie each other.

' The edges 1-2 and 13 of the. strips or sections 5 and 6 respectively and the edge 14 of the opening-or slit 1 are secured together from about the point 16 to about'the point 17. From the latter point to the point-18 only the edges 12 andl are fastened together, the corresponding portion of the edge 13 being left free, as indicated'at18". From the point 18.

around toabout the point 19theedges 20 and 21 of the strips or sections 5 and 6 respectively and the ed e 22 of the slit 1 are secured to-.

gether but from the point 19 to about the point 23 only the edges 2 1 and'22 are secured together, The portion of the edge 20 between the points 19 and 28 is free as indicated atQl f in Figs. l and'3 of the drawing. From the pointf23 to about the point 25 allthree edges 20, 21 and 22 are secured together, I I

It will be apparent that openings are provided between the points 17' and 18 and be-' tween the points 19 and 23 andthat Within the region bounded by the said points the pointed or tapered portions 10 and 11 of the strips 5 and 6 overlap each other. Thus,

while an opening is provided in the front of the garment such opening is normally closed so that the underneath portion of the body is completely and fully protected.

The portions of the edges of the supple- 7 mental strips or sections 5 and 6 having been secured to the portion or member 2' of the garment as above indicated and described, the lower portions oi the edges 14 and 30 may be secured together by a row of stitching 31 (to form a leg 31) which row of stitching is continued to. secure the remaining portion of the edge 12 to t-he remaining portion oi? the edge 30 along the line 32 to a point at or approximating the upper end of the edge 30. The edge of the upper endof the strip 5 is secured by stitching along the line M t o the back part of the body portion of the garment transversely and generally somewhat above the middle thereo'i as shown in Fig. 2.

The lower portions 01 the edges 22 and 35 are secured together by means of row of stitching 36 which row or stitching is continued along the dash line 37 to secure the remaining portion of the edge 21 of the strip 6 to the remainingportion or theedge 35. V

The'edge of the upper end'of the strip 6 is located underneath the rear side of the body portion of the garment in alinement with the upper edge of the strip 5 and is secured to the said body by means of a row of stitching at 38. i It will be seen that the strips 5 and Gare overlapped and extend somewhat in cross-wise relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, so that likelihood of gaping is avoided[ Furthermore, the said strips are adapted to besecured together by means of a button as indicated at 40. I

Although we have described the stitches along the lines 31, 32 as having been made prior to the formation of the stitches along the lines 36, 87 it will be understood that the stitching of thestrips' tothe portion of the fabric constituting the body portion of the garment may be performed in any manner and in any order as may be desired.

It will be seen thatwe have provided a construction in which the crotch portion of the garment is 01 relatively great strength and in which the openings at the front and rear sides oi the garment are formed by the overlapping portions of supplemental strlps secured to the main'body portiono'f the garment in the manner as described and in a way to prevent We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent An undergarmcnt of the character de scribed, comprising body and leg portions, the said body portion having front and rear openings, strips connected with the said body portion i'or closing sa1d openings,-one of said strips overlying the other and the frontend portion of each of said strips being relatively 7 narrow and tapered, and the said stripsex tending from the rear to the front of the garment, the lower portions thereof located between the legs or" the said garment constituting the crotch portion of the garment, the op-I s e edges oi the relatively narrow tapered t 10: opposite edges of the opening in thei ront of the garment, the connection of one edge or the underneath portion being interrupted for a short distenicev at one edge'of the opening, and the-connection of the opposite edge of the outer relatively narrow tapered portion being interrupted for a short distancewhereby two openings in opposed relation to each otherat the opposite edges or the said overlying portionsare provided, and one edge of therear portion of one oi said strips being secured to one edge of the rear opening and the opposite edge of the other or said strips being connected to the oppositeredge of said opening, substantially as described. v

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as t portions of said strips being secured to our invention we have hereunto signed our names this 21st day oi July, 1927.

" ALBERT T. FLAVELL.

ENOGH HOLLAND. I 

